ZOOLOGICAL LAbUiiAlutiV, KtciitiAini a^ 



CHAPTER X. 



CCELENTERATA OR STINGING-ANIMALS. 



The title Ccelenterate is hardly worthy of this large series, 

 which includes jellyfish and " zoophytes," sea-anemories and 

 corals, and many other beautiful forms of life. The word 

 Ccelenterate refers to the fact that the internal cavity of any 

 of these animals is simply the food-canal (enteron), and not 

 a true " body-cavity," but this is a somewhat technical frag- 

 ment of information. The German word Nesselthiere, or 

 stinging-animals, is at least more vivid, and it is justified by 

 the fact that almost all the members of this series have sting- 

 ing-cells, from which poisoned lassoes are thrown out, while 

 only a few other animals possess this characteristic. The 

 Stinging-animals are almost all either tubular and ten- 

 tacled (polypoid) like the Hydra or the sea-anemone, or 

 else floating bells or discs (medusoid) like the jellyfish, or, 

 strangely enough, like each of these at different periods in 

 their life-history. 



Survey of the Series. — Representatives of all the chief 

 divisions of Ccelenterates may sometimes be found in a single 

 pool by the shore. In the nooks of the rocks are ruddy 

 sea-anemones, which have been called sea-roses. Floating 

 in the pool and throbbing gently is a jellyfish which has 

 been washed in by the tide. Fringing the rocks are " zoo- 

 phytes," or, if we read the word backwards, " plant-like 

 animals." Besides these, and hardly visible in the clear 

 water, are small transparent bells, some of which bear a 

 strange relationship to the zoophytes. There are yet other 

 exquisitely delicate, slightly iridescent globes — the comb- 

 bearing Ctenophores, of which Beroe is a common type. 



In inland ponds, however, we commonly find another 



